Photographic printing frame



Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGBAPHIC PRINTING FRAME Lew W. Lessler, Binghamton, N. Y., assignor to General Aniline & Film Corporation, Binghamton, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 18, 1940, Serial No. 330,3

2 Claims.

of assembling and disassembling the various' parts. In manysuch frames, for example, it was extremely difiicult to replace the customary transparent glass plate, when such a plate was accidentally broken. The mounting of the masks was also complicated and gave rise to dimculties in manufacture.

With these disadvantages of the known forms of construction in view, it is accordingly one object of this invention to provide an improved form of construction for a photographic masking print frame.

A further object is to provide a form of construction for such a frame in which the various parts can be united in separate subassemblies which are subsequently combined to form the finished frame.

Another object is to provide such a frame with a readily removable end member which can be disconnected from the frame to facilitate the replacement of the usual transparent plate.

Furtherobjects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing, which forms a part of this ap plication, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a top view of a printing frame constructed according to this invention, with the cover removed;

Figure 2 is a view of the cover alone;

Figure 3 is a top view of a removable frame member according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the corner construction of the frame in Figure 1.

In order that those persons skilled in the art may fully understand the nature and scope of this invention, the following detailed and concise description is given with particular reference to the accompanying drawing.

The printing frame according to this invention consists essentially of four frame members as shown in Figure 1. Thus, the frame comprises two end frame members ll, l2, and two side frame members l3 and I4 which are joined to each other in substantially rectangular form. Along the bottom inner edge of these frame members is an inwardly projecting flange l5 which extends substantially around the periphery of the opening formed bythe frame and which serves as a support for the customary transparent ,plate I6.

In order to mask the photographic negative to the desired size when printing, this frame is further provided with fixed and movable masking members. The fixed mask I1 is mounted on the side frame member i3 and the fixed mask I8 is similarly mounted on the adjacent end member l2. The negative is placed in one corner of the frame and is overlappingly engaged by these fixed masks along adjacent edges to form a border on said edges. The remaining two edges of the negative will be overlappingly engaged by the adjustable 'masks i9 and 20 which are slidably mounted on the same frame members i3 and I2 respectively. These adjustable masks are made of flexible opaque material and are readily adjustable to mask the negative to the desiredarea, as shown by the full line and dotted line positions of said masks in Figure 1.

The relatively fixed masks l1 and i8 are further provided with scales 25 and 26 respectively which indicate, in cooperation with the adjustable masks l9 and 20, the dimensions of the final print. Incidentally, although mask 11 has been spoken of as flxed," this particular mask is flexibly or movably mounted to a. slight extent in a manner well known in the art, so that said mask can be moved slightly away from the transparent plate 16 for ready insertion of the negative beneath said mask. This movement of the mask i'l away from the plate is accomplished by pressure on the finger piece 21 which extends through an opening in the side frame member I 3.

The movable masks l9 and 20 are not mounted directly upon the frame members l3 and I2 but are slidably mounted upon guide strips 2| and 22 which are, in turn, fastened to the frame members as shown. These guide members 2!, 22 are preferably formed from flat metal strips which are offset at their ends, as shown at 34, said ends being attachable to the frame members by screws 23. Because of the offset portions 34, the major portion of the guides 2i, 22 will be spaced uniformly from the frame members l3,-

l2. The masks l9 and 20, attached to these guides, extend from said guides to the interior of the frame through slots in the frame members i2 and I3. Thus, member i3 is provided with a slot 46 (Fig. 5) for the mask I9. Similarly, the end member l2 forms one side of a similar slot for the mask 20 in a manner to be described below. The advantage of using fiat strip material for the guides 2| and 22 lies in the relative ease with which these guides may be formed and subsequently attached to the frame members.

The usual cover is provided for this masking frame and is shown in Figure 2. This cover consists of two portions 28 and 29 which are hinged together at 30. Each portion is provided with a spring retaining member 3i pivotally mounted thereon at 32. When the customary negative and printing papers have been placed in the frame, the cover is then placed over the negative and paper and is held in position by engagement of the ends of the rotatable spring members 3| with the recessed portions or grooves 33 in the side frame members l3 and i4.

The method of attachment of the movable masks i9 and 20 to the fiat guides 2| will now be described. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the mask member 23 engages the lower edge of the guide strip 22 and the end of the masking memher is turned up, as shown at 33, to provide a smooth finish for this part of the construction. A spring clip 24 is attached to the masking member adjacent the guide strip 22. Any suitable means of attachment may be employed as, for example, the rivets 35. The spring clip 24 then extends along one surface of' the guide strip 22, around the other edge of the guide strip as at 35, and is bent back as at 31 to engage the re maining surface of the guide. This clip 24 is made of any suitable resilient material, and the engagement of said clip with the guide is sufficient to maintain the guide in its adjusted position. The frictional engagement of the spring clip does not, however, prevent the operator from moving the mask 23 along the guide 22 to any desired position.

It will now be apparent that the mask 20, the guide 22, and the spring clip 24 may be separately formed and aassembled to constitute a sub-assembly which can later be attached to the frame by insertion of the mask in the previously men-- tioned slots and by fastening the guide to the frame member by the screws 23. The riveting or other Listening of the spring clip 24 to the mask 21) is accordingly much more readily accomplished when this assembly is made separately than when the guides and masks are already in position on the printing frame.

As mentioned above, it is often extremely difficult to remove the transparent plate IS in previously known forms of construction. In the present case, for example, the plate is supported along the edges of one surface by the flanges IS on the frame members. The other surface of the plate is engaged by the fixed and the movable masks [1-20 and the glass is accordingly retained in position. In order to facilitate the removal and replacement of this glass or transparent plate, the end frame member l2 has been joined to the side frame members I3 and H in such a way that the end member i2 may be readily removed as a unit with the masks i8 and 20. Figure 1 shows, in dotted outline, how this end member is readily removed by disengaging the screws 23 from the side frame members i3 and I4. Figure 3 shows the end member and masks as a separate unit. Figure shows part of the fingered connection between member l2 and one of the side members.

It will be readily apparent that, with this end member removed, it will be a simple matter to flex the remaining mask i9 sufficiently to permit the lifting of one edge of the plate and the removal of said plate over the side frame memoer i4.

If the end member i2 formed the only mnnection between the side frame members l3 and M at this particular end of the frame, these side frame members could be easily forced out of position when the end member 12 is removed. According to this invention, therefore,

an additional end member or spacer 39 is provided as shown in Figure 5. This spacing bar 39 is interlockingly engaged with the side members i3 and i4 as shown at 40, and maintains the side members in their proper spaced relation even when the end member I2 is removed. Bar 39 carries flange l5 which supports the transparent plate at this end of the frame.

The side members l3 and II are cut back as at 4| to accommodate the reduced ends 42 of the end member i2 in what is generally known as a fingered connection. Instead of permitting the member i2 to engage directly with the surface of the spacing bar 39, the strip 43 is left on the side members i3, I 4 when portion 4| is cut back. Thus, when the end member i2 is engaged with the recessed side frame members, tl'f. surface of member I2 will be spaced from surface 45 of the member 39 by a distance equal to the length of the edge 44 on the strip 43. This space between the members I 2 and 39 serves as a slot through which the mask 20 is inserted, and this slot is therefore the equivalent of the previously mentioned slot 46 in the side frame member H. Member i2 is fastened to the side frame members I3 and I4 by the same screws 23 which hold guide bar 22 in assembled position. Thus a very simple and compact form of construction is obtained.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing description that a form of construction has been provided which offers substantial advantages in construction and assembly over the previously known printing frame constructions. The present invention is accordingly not to be restricted to the exact form of construction shown in the drawings but is to be interpreted as covering any substantially equivalent structure which incorporates the advantages specified in the present case and which falls within the scope of the appended claims.

Now therefore I claim:

1. A photographic printing frame comprising side members and end members joined to form a rectangular frame, a transparent plate mounted in said frame, supporting means on said frame members engaging the edges of one surface of said plate, a masking member on at least one of said frame members and engaging the other surface of said plate, one of said frame members having a fingered connection with the adjacent frame members, said one member being readily separable from said adjacent members for ready removal and replacement of said plate, and a non-removable connecting bar between said adjacent frame members for maintaining said members in proper spaced relation when said one member is separated therefrom.

2. A photographic printing frame comprising side members and end members joined to form a rectangular frame, a transparent plate mounted in said frame. supporting means on said frame members engaging the edges of one surface of said plate, a masking member on at least one of said frame members and engaging the other surface of said plate, one of said frame members having a removable connection with adjacent frame members, said one member being readily separable from said adjacent members for ready removal and replacement of said plate, and a non-removable connecting bar between said adjacent frame members for maintaining said members in proper spaced relation when said one member is separated therefrom.

LEW W. LESSLER. 

